• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Anyone think this looks Shilly?

Started by LordRahl,

70 posts in this topic

LordRahl

LordRahl

Posted
Posted

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidderProfile&mode=1&item=201163602479&aid=e***i&eu=&bidtid=1109258069010&view=BUYER&ssPageName=PageBidderProfileViewBids_Buyer_ViewLink

 

199 bids, 100% with the same seller

 

I know it isn't definitive. Could be he just really likes sparkles but I don't like paying for stuff I was shilled on. Just on general principle.

 

Anyone aware of any shenanigans with sparkle?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
miraclemet

miraclemet

Posted
Posted

Sparkle city has some very loyal bidders, and they pimp the heck out of their auctions via mailing lists, their website and so on... so it's not impossible that they have some bidders who ONLY bid on their books.

 

but it IS unlikely.

 

Someone bids on 31 different books and they ALL happen to be with Sparkle? :/

 

They have had a ton of success with online ebay auctions, and maybe this has something to do with it...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lizards2

lizards2

Posted
Posted
Every book looks overgraded by at least two grades.

 

I made some raw purchases several months ago, and the stated grades varied widely, both over and under. I did return one NM book with a large moisture stain - they do have hassle-free returns.

 

Lately, it appears from the scans, that most books are overgraded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lizards2

lizards2

Posted
Posted
Every book looks overgraded by at least two grades.

 

This.

Brian should be on here any moment to defend.

 

You would think that entities that sell both CGC graded products and raw products would have a clue about grading raw products, not that they should necessarily be bound by CGC standards, but jeez-louise.

 

Hasn't Sparklecity recently moved away from selling CGC books and towards raw? Maybe they did not like what they were getting back from Florida.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Badger

Badger

Posted
Posted
Every book looks overgraded by at least two grades.
Its a shame if true. I really liked them when they were selling CGC only. Quick, well packed, shipping; just no problems. Their Silver Age 9.8s looked nice but does this look like a 9.2 to anybody?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Spider-Man-25-NM-9-2-1st-Mary-Jane-Watson-Cameo-Marvel-Silver-Age-Comic-/131293263034?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item1e91b034ba

 

This is a VF+?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Spider-Man-18-VF-3rd-Sandman-Marvel-Silver-Age-Comic-HIGH-GRADE-/201168790334?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2ed698233e

 

Am I being overly critical?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Speedy-D

Speedy-D

Posted
Posted
Every book looks overgraded by at least two grades.
Its a shame if true. I really liked them when they were selling CGC only. Quick, well packed, shipping; just no problems. Their Silver Age 9.8s looked nice but does this look like a 9.2 to anybody?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Spider-Man-25-NM-9-2-1st-Mary-Jane-Watson-Cameo-Marvel-Silver-Age-Comic-/131293263034?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item1e91b034ba

 

This is a VF+?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Spider-Man-18-VF-3rd-Sandman-Marvel-Silver-Age-Comic-HIGH-GRADE-/201168790334?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2ed698233e

 

Am I being overly critical?

Nope, them's overgraded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
jaybuck43

jaybuck43

Posted
Posted

I've felt this way for a long while. They made their name selling CGC books and now are using that brand loyalty to sell very over graded raws. Their defense of course will be, well you can see the pictures and bid accordingly, and our auctions start at 0.99 so you can get a great deal (which sure, you can some times).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
techvoodoo

techvoodoo

Posted
Posted

I bid on something from sparkle 2 years ago, and the price got driven up and up by tiny increments by a new bidder, and it looked fishy to me. I had just gotten back into collecting and didn't know anything about the seller so I asked if it looked shilly on here.

 

Most of the replies back then were, no way sparkle has a great reputation, etc. Sparkle even came and posted, had a bit of a hissy fit that I would even suggest such a thing and sully their good name.

 

I think words like defamation and slander were thrown around for even asking if it could possibly been shill'ish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LordRahl

LordRahl

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Every book looks overgraded by at least two grades.

 

This.

 

Yes a lot of the stuff looks over-graded, but not all. And I'm less worried about over-grading since I can return the books. Shilling however is another story. And it does look quite shilltastic with one guy who ONLY bids on their books. And on each book he bid on, it's multiple bids at slightly increasing price points... like he's trying to drive the price up instead of putting down his snipe at the end. Never be able to prove it's a shill but it sure looks fishy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing